Process and apparatus for converting continuous filament into a sliver of combed, drafted and separated staplelength fibers



2,706,834 NUOUS Apt-ll 26, 1955 Q wlLK PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING CONTI FILAMENT INTO A SLIVER OF COMBED, DRAFTED AND SEPARATED STAPLE-LENGTH FIBERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1952 Apr]! 26, 1955 R. c. WILKIE 2,706,834

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING CONTINUOUS FILAMENT INTO A SLIVER OF COMBED, DRAFTED AND SEPARATE!) STAPLE-LENGTH FIBERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1952 April 26, 1955 R. c. WILKIE 2,706,834 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING CONTINUOUS FILAMENT INTQ A SLIVER OF COMBED, DRAFTED AND SEPARATED STAPLE-LENGTH FIBERS Filed May 6, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING CONTINUOUS FILAMENT INTO A SLIVER OF COMBED, DRAFTED AND SEPARATED STAPLE- LENGTH FIBERS Robert C. Wilkie, Andover, Mass., assignor to Pacific Mills, Lawrence, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 6, 1952, Serial No. 286,316

6 Claims. (Cl. 19-.56)

The present invention relates to a process and an apparatus for converting continuous filament into a selfsustaining sliver of combed, drafted and separated fibers of staple length.

The invention is an improvement on the process and apparatus disclosed and claimed in Wilkie Patent No. 2,438,469 granted March 23, 1948.

The process and apparatus of the Wilkie patent give excellent results on all known types of synthetic fibers and on blends of such synthetic fibers with wools of many types or with cotton, and have enjoyed a wide commercial success in this country and abroad as embodied in the now well-known Pacific Mills Converter. However, the various types of synthetic fibers dilfer, often substantially, in their phvsical characteristics which are involved in the operations performed by this machine, so that often at least adjustments, if not minor structural changes, must be made in a given machine if a change is to be made in the type of fiber or blend to be processed by it. Also, the Pacific Converter has been found useful in preparing sliver for many different types of drawing systems with their widely varying end uses, other than the worsted system for which it was originally designed. The growing number of different new synthetic fibers and different applications thereof aggravate these problems of adjustment or modification.

Also, with some of the newer synthetic fibers, the sliver product of said patent for some uses needs to be combed or carded, or both, before it is spun into yarn.

An object of the present invention is to provide a process and an apparatus of this character which will run at or near its maximum efliciency with any or all types of fibers or blends, and with a minimum of alteration or adjustment, or no alteration or adjustment, when the type of fiber to be run in the machine must be changed.

Another object is to provide an apparatus and process which will give complete and positive fiber-to-fiber separation with any and all types of synthetic fibers.

Another object is to provide an apparatus and process which will give superior blending of fibers when a blend of two or more different types of fibers is to be produced.

Another object is to provide a process and apparatus which will convert continuous filament of many or all types of synthetic fiber, and blends of such filament with natural fibers or synthetic fibers or filaments, into a continuous sliver of drafted staples which requires neither carding nor combing.

Another object is to provide an apparatus and a process of this character which will give more effective debonding of the fractured filaments into staples, and thorough removal of the portion of filament which were crushed by the fracturing rolls.

A further object is to improve the process and apparatus of the Wilkie patent to effect better alignment of the fibers in the sliver product, to substantially reduce or eliminate turn backs and improve the parallel relation of the fibers.

An illustrative embodiment of apparatus embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical mid-section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 shows a part of the mechanism as it appears in Fig. 2 but in more detail and to a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the cam face of a cam plate associated with the pin roll;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal mid-section through the end of the pin roll and cam plate, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of parts shown in Fig. 6 with the clearer bar retainer cap removed;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a clearer bar; and

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the clearer bar of Fig. 8.

The continuous filaments to be processed are drawn from any suitable source, for example from a series of spools or boxes through a creel, and are collected and spread into a flat web 2, Fig. 2, which is fed between the fracturing rolls 10 and 12.

By means of the rolls 10 and 12 the web of filaments is fractured along parallel lines obliquely inclined to the direction of travel of the web as it passes between the rolls. For this purpose the roll 10 is provided with one or more steel helical lands 14 on its periphery which are pressed strongly against the web as it is supported by the smooth-surfaced metal roll 12. The helical lands 14 are preferably not sharpened but have flat outer faces which crush the filaments of the web. In practice a breadth of to at the face of the lands has given satisfactory results.

The roll 10 is covered with a flexible composition between the lands to about the same level or slightly higher than the lands. Under the heavy pressure exerted on the upper roll this flexible composition enables the rolls 10 and 12 to feed the web as it is being fractured and also prevents any objectionable movement of the filaments axially of the rolls.

The angle at which the web is fed to rolls 10 and 12 may be continuously varied, to continuously vary the lengths of the staples between the fracture lines to produce any desired final fiber array (fiber diagram), e. g. an array having variations in the lengths of its individual fibers resembling those of a worsted or cotton sliver.

The collecting, feeding and fracturing operations briefly described above may be performed in the manner and by use of the apparatus disclosed in said Wilkie Patent No. 2,438,469, to which reference is made for a fuller disclosure of the complete machine to which the present invention is applicable.

In accordance with the invention the debonding rollers (24, 26 in the patent), their associated feed rollers (20, 22) and the first of the two shearing sections (28 48), which follow the fracturing rolls of the apparatus disclosed in said Wilkie patent, are replaced by an apparatus hereinafter to be disclosed in detail which includes positively driven feed rolls which advance the fractured web of fibers at a predetermined constant speed while positively engaging it to prevent more rapid advance of the fibers, and a rotating roll having pins which repeatedly engage the advancing fractured filaments as they emerge from the feed rolls, to debond the staplelength fibers, i. e., to separate the ends of successive portions of a filament which may be stuck together by portions of the filaments which were crushed by the fracturlng roll and break off these crushed portions from the adjacent leading and trailing ends of successive staple-length fibers, while at the same time combing the leading end of each staple-length fiber a great many times while its trailing end is positively engaged and advanced at a fixed predetermined speed. Immediately upon release of the trailing ends of the fibers the freed fibers are advanced by the pins with respect to the following fibers still engaged so that the web is drafted and transported to apparatus disclosed in said Wilkie patent to be thereby subsequently processed into a continuous self-sustaining sliver by the shearing, further drafting and rolling operations described therein. I use the term comb in its usual dictionary sense (as in combing the hair of the head) and not with the technical meaning employed in the textile industry to designate removal of short fibers and foreign matter.

Referring now to the drawings, the web upon leaving the nip of the rolls 10 and 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) passes through a double nip formed by resilient roll 16 and scratch fluted steel rolls 18 and 19. The three rolls of this set are desirably of relatively small diameter so that their nips are close to the nip of rolls and 12 to reduce as far as practicable the length of uncontrolled web between the nip of rolls 10 and 12 and nips of rolls 16, 18 and 19. The rolls 16, 18 and 19 run at the same surface speed, which is so adjusted that it is not less than the surface speed of the fractured web emerging from the fracturing rolls 10 and 12, to maintain the web under a slight tension.

As the filaments emerge from the nip of rolls 16 and 19 they are promptly engaged by the pins of a roll indicated generally at 20 and herein called the pin roll. The pin roll 20 is rotated at a predetermined surface speed substantially higher than the speed of the traveling fractured web so that each fiber is repeatedly combed and urged forward at its leading end while it is engaged at its trailing end by the nip of rolls 16 and 19. Inasmuch as the fibers are presented to the pin roll 20 in a tapered arrangement, due to the inclination of the fracture lines, an optimum combing action takes place without grouping of fibers according to staple length as would occur if a similar combing treatment were given a web containing fibers in a conventional fiber array, that is, having a natural or conventional distribution of fiber lengths.

When a fiber is released by the nip of rolls 16 and 19 it is carried forward by the pins with respect to neighboring fibers still held back by these rolls. Thus the web is continuously drafted. Also, successive fibers from the same filament are effectively debonded, if necessary, and the crushed portions are removed from the web.

The pin roll 28 (Figs. 4 and 6) comprises a metal shell 22 supported by heads 24 on a transverse shaft 26 carried in bearings on the machine frame side members 28 and 30 (Fig. 1). The shell 22 may be counterbored at the ends to receive the heads which are driven therein with a pressed fit. To further assure a firm connection between the heads and shell, hollow-head set screws 32 may be inserted into tapped holes in the joint between them, as shown. The heads 24 are secured to shaft 26 for rotation therewith by pins 34 passing through holes in the heads and through the shaft 26.

The shaft 26 is suitably driven in timed relation with the fracturing rolls 10 and 12 and the roll set 16, 18 and 19 Referring again to Figure 4, the shell 22 is provided with a large number of longitudinal slots 36 extending endwise of the shell for the accommodation of pin sections 38, each of which carries a large number of outwardly extending pins 40. Each pin section 38 comprises a group of pins 40 having their bases anchored in a block of metal cast around them. The pin sections 38 are retained firmly seated in the slots 36 by means of keys 42 driven endwise into small slots 44 and bearing against the pins 40 and the outer faces of the metal bases of the pin sections 38. Endwise movement of the pin sections 38 in the slots 36 is prevented by a plate 46 (Fig. 6) at each end of the roll. The plate 46 is apertured to receive the hub of head 24 and is drawn tightly against shell 22 by hollow-head cap screws 48.

The slots 36 as seen in section, Fig. 4, are inclined to the radius of the shell 22 so that the pins pass through the fibers with their tip ends in advance of the rest of the pin so as to assure that the fibers are forcibly and positively drawn inward toward the axis of the pin roll 20 as the combing, drafting and transporting action takes place. I use the term forwardly inclined to denote this relationship of the pins to the pin roll and its direction of rotation. I have found that an angle of about between the long axis of the pin and the radius of the shell 22 which passes through the root of the pin gives good results in this respect, although larger or smaller angles are within the purview of my invention.

Clearer bars 50 extending axially of the pin roll 20 are provided between each two adjacent longitudinal rows of pins for the purpose of positively ejecting the web from the pins at the side of the roll approximately opposite the side at which the web enters. Referring to Figs. 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, each clearer bar 50, preferably but not necessarily rectangular in cross section, carries at each of its ends a cam follower roll 52, 52', which may be a roller bearing mounted on a reduced cylindrical end 54 of the clearer bar.

These cam followers 52, 52 run in cam tracks in the inner faces of cam plates 56, 56' rigidly mounted on the machine side frame members 28 and 38, one at each end of the pin roll 20.

Referring to Fig. 5 the cam plate 56 consists of two semi-circular sections 56a and 56b spaced from each other by spacer blocks 58, 58'. Conveniently, sections 56a and 56b may be formed by cutting a cam track 60 of circular shape in a circular metal plate and then dividing the plate into two halves 56a and 56b so that the track in each of these halves is of semi-circular shape.

The cam plate sections 56a and 56]) are related to the axis of the pin roll, as is shown by the relationship between Figs. 4 and 5, so that the cam track in section 56a is substantially coaxial with the pin roll, whereas the axis of the track in cam section 56b is displaced to the right of the pin roll axis, in the direction of movement of the web, by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the blocks 58, 58.

Accordingly, the clearer bars 50 are in fully retracted position against the shell and adjacent the bases of the pins while they travel from a position adjacent the top of the pin roll to a position adjacent the bottom of the pin roll, as indicated by arrow 62. At the latter point, the clearer bars begin to move outwardly as the cam follower rolls 52, 52' travel first over the surface of block 58 and then in the cam track 60 of cam section 56b. When the bars reach their extreme right hand position (as seen in Fig. 2) they have moved to their extreme advanced position in which the web of fibers will have been removed completely from the pins 40 and is being carried forward for further processing under the influence of roller 64 and apron 66. The outward movement of the clearer bars occus during the phase indicated by arrow 68. Thereafter, as the bars travel to their upper position they are returned to their innermost retracted position as they move through the angular distance indicated by arrow 70. The distance through which the clearer bars are moved is determined by the thickness of the spacer blocks 58, 58 and is such that the outer face of the bar moves to or slightly beyond the tips of the pins.

Each clearer bar is provided adjacent each end (Figs. 8 and 9) with a clip 72 which overlies a tongue 74 anchored in a metal base cast around it in the same way as the bases of the .pin sections 38. Such a tongue section is seated in the slots 36 at each end of the shell to maintain the clearer bars in proper position and guide them in their advancing and retracting movements.

To facilitate assembly and disassembly of the clearer bars 50 into and out of the machine, the spacer block 58 at the tops of the cam plates 56, 56' are of less thickness than the cam plate, desirably of the same thickness as the metal of the plate beneath the cam track (Figs. 6 and 7 The upper surface of the cam track at this point is provided by a retainer cap 76 removably secured to the spacer block as by a cap screw 78. Upon removal of these retainer caps, the uppermost clearer bar 50 may be lifted out of or placed in the machine and the pin roll shell then turned to bring all of the other clearer bars 50 successively into uppermost position for removal or replacement of all of the clearer bars.

The p1n sections 38 may be removed by pulling the corresponding key 42 out of its slot 44 through an opening 80 provided in the cam 56 and then lifting the pm section from its slot 36, first loosening cap screws 48 if necessary. The pin sections 38 may be relatively short, containing relatively few pins, so that pm damage can be repaired by replacing a section without undue expense.

After the web of combed, separated and drafted fibers leaves the pin roll 20 it is converted into a continuous self-sustaining sliver by a series of operations and by apparatus generally the same as described in said wilkie patent, which operations and apparatus accordlngly will be described only generally, reference being made to said patent for further details.

The web of fibers is delivered from the pin roll 20 to a shearing section comprising the apron 66 and its associated rolls. The web issuing from the pin roll is engaged by the nip of roll 64 and apron 66 which is supported at that point by roll 82. The apron 66 runs over rolls 82, 84, 86, 88 and 90 and is driven by positive engagement by the rolls 82 and 64. Above the apron are rolls 92, 94, 96, 98 and 100 against which the apron presses, and which are scratch fluted for better frictional engagement with the fibers pressed against them by the apron.

The surface speeds of both apron 66 and the rolls pressing against its upper surface are slightly greater than the speed of the Web as it leaves the pin roll 20 so that the web is positively taken away.

The fibers in each strip, between successive lines of fracture, approach the roll 64 and apron 66 in succession rather than simultaneously, due to the inclination of the fracture lines.

The rolls 92, 94, 96, 98 and 100 are driven at the same surface speed, which is greater than the surface speed of the apron 66 on which the web of fibers lies, so that the rolls advance the upper fibers of the Web with respect to the fibers lying beneath them. There is thus effected a separation and relative endwise movement of the fibers of the web with respect to each other, which I call a shearing action. As a result of this shearing, the fibers which were vertically aligned depthwise of the fracture line are now out of vertical alignment, and, depthwise through the web, upper fibers are advanced with relation to those beneath them, so that the fibers now are not coterminuous either depthwise or widthwise of the web.

From the shearing section the web is delivered directly to the apron 102 (corresponding to the apron 86 of the Wilkie patent) by the nip between the apron and a roll 104, from which apron it is picked up and rolled helically on itself by a rotating ribbed cylinder disposed above and closely adjacent to the apron at an inclination to its direction of motion, and then delivered lengthwise into a receiving trumpet, all as described in detail in the Wilkie patent.

The amount of combing performed in my process is illustrated by the following description of a typical machine embodying the invention. In this machine the effective circumference of pin roll 29 and the effective circumference of the fracturing roll is 18 inches, the pin roll contains 60 bars, the distance between successive cuts by the lands 14 is 3 inches, and the length of the web between nips 16, 19 and the tips of the pins 40 is 1 inch. The fracturing rolls are driven at about 14.4 R. P. M. and the speed of the pin roll may be adjusted to about 4 to 10 times the speed of the fracturing rolls. Consequently, the web is combed 14.4 60 4 or 3456 times per minute when this ratio is 4:1 and 8640 times per minute when the ratio is 10:1. When the pin roll travels four times as fast as the cutter roll, 4X60 or 240 pin sections 33 pass by the nip 16, 19 for each rotation of the fracturing roll; and thus for each 18 inches of web fed forward. The number of pin sections 38 engaging the leading two inches of each 3" fiber than is X240 %=26.6 pin sections. That is, each fiber is combed 26.6 times while it is restrained against free forward movement with the pins by its engagement at the nip of roll 16, 19. In the same way, when the cut is 6" long, 66.6 bars will engage each fiber. If the speed of the pin roll is 10 times that of the cutting roll, each 3" fiber will be engaged by 66.6 pin bars and each 6" fiber will be engaged by 166.7 pin bars.

I find that by the use of the pin roll of the present invention, better results are produced with a single shearing section than were formerly obtained with two such sections. The use of a single such section is advantageous in connection with conversion of existing machines containing two such sections, as removal of one section (with the debonding unit) provides adequate space for installation of the roll set 16, 18, 19 and pin roll 20.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for converting a web of continuous filament into a sliver of separated, drafted and combed staple fibers comprising means for feeding said web and fracturing the filaments along parallel lines obliquely inclined to the direction of feed, means for advancing said fractured filaments at a predetermined speed while positively engaging them and preventing their more rapid advance, a rotatable pin roll having pins engaging the leading portions of said filaments as they are so advanced and as their trailing portions are so engaged, means for rotating said roll at a speed such that said pins travel substantially faster than said engaged filaments to exert a repeated combing action thereon, debond any filaments still united at the points of fracture into staple-length fibers, separate the fibers from each other, enhance the average parallel relation of the fibers, and advance individual fibers, as they are relieved from such engagement, with respect to adjacent fibers still so engaged, thereby drafting the web, and means for forming said combed and drafted web into sliver form.

2. An apparatus for converting a web of continuous filament into a sliver of combed, drafted and separated staple fibers comprising means for feeding said web and fracturing the filaments along parallel lines obliquely inclined to the direction of feed, means for advancing said fractured filaments at a predetermined speed while positively engaging them and preventing their more rapid advance, a rotatable pin roll having pins engaging the leading portions of said filaments as they are so advanced and as their trailing portions are so engaged, means for rotating said roll at a speed such that said pins travel substantially faster than said engaged filaments to exert a repeated combing action thereon, debond any filaments still united at the points of fracture into staple length fibers, separate the fibers from each other, enhance the average parallel relation of the fibers, and advance individual fibers, as they are relieved from such engagement, with respect to adjacent fibers still so engaged, thereby drafting the web, means for shearing and further drafting the combed web, and means for forming said combed, drafted and sheared web into sliver form, said rotatable pin roll serving also to transport the web to said means for shearing and further drafting the combed web.

3. An apparatus for converting a web of continuous filament into a sliver of separated, drafted and combed staples comprising means for feeding said web and fracturing the filaments along parallel lines obliquely inclined to the direction of feed, means for advancing said fractured filaments at a predetermined speed while positively engaging them and preventing their more rapid advance, a rotatable pin roll having forwardly inclined pins engaging the leading portions of said filaments as they are so advanced and as their trailing portions are so engaged, means for rotating said roll at a speed such that said pins travel substantially faster than said engaged filaments to exert a repeated combing action thereon, debond any filaments still united at the points of fracture into staple-length fibers, separate the fibers from each other, enhance the average parallel relation of the fibers, and advance individual fibers, as they are relieved from such engagement, with respect to adjacent fibers still so engaged, thereby drafting the web, means for clearing the combed and drafted web from said pins, and means for forming said combed and drafted web into sliver form.

4. The method of converting a web of continuous filaments into a sliver of separated, drafted and combed staple fibers which comprises feeding a web of such filaments, fracturing filaments in said web along parallel lines obliquely inclined to the direction of travel of said web, positively engaging said fractured web along a line transverse to its direction of travel and advancing it at a predetermined speed, repeatedly combing the leading portions of said filaments, as their trailing portions are so engaged and advanced, to debond any filaments still united at the points of fracture into stapledength fibers, separate such fibers from each other and draft the web as it passes beyond said line of engagement, displacing some of said combed and drafted fibers endwise with respect to other fibers both depthwise and widthwise of the web so that adjacent fibers in said web are not coterminous, and forming said web into the form of a sliver.

5. The method of converting a web of continuous filaments into a sliver of separated, drafted and combed staple fibers which comprises feeding a web of such filaments, fracturing filaments in said web along parallel lines obliquely inclined to the direction of travel of said web, positively engaging said fractured web along a line trans verse to its direction of travel and advancing it at a predetermined speed, repeatedly combing the leading portions of said filaments, as their trailing portions are so engaged and advanced at said line of engagement, to debond any filaments still united at the points of fracture into staplelength fibers, separate the fibers from each other and draft the Web as it passes beyond the line of engagement, and forming said web into the form of a sliver.

6. An apparatus of the class described comprising means for feeding a web of continuous filament and fracturing the filaments along parallel lines obliquely inclined to the direction of feed, a resilient top feed roll coacting with two non-resilient bottom rolls for advancing said web of fractured filaments, a pinned roll for combing said advancing filaments, means for rotating said pinned roll faster than and in timed relation to said feed rolls, said pinned roll having lengthwise slots angularly disposed to the radii of said roll, pins cast into metallic sections fitted into said slots, keys fitted into keyways adjacent the outer surface of said metallic sections whereby radial displacement of said metallic sections is prevented, stationary cams adjacent the ends of said pinned roll having cam tracks, half of said tracks nearest said feed rolls being coaxial with said pinned roll, the other half of said tracks being displaced toward the delivery side of said roll, clearer bars on said pinned roll adjacent said pinned sections, said clearer bars having cam followers attached to each end and adapted to follow the course of said cam tracks in said cam whereby said clearer bars are disposed at the base of said pins at the feed side of said pinned roll and at the tip of said pins at the delivery side of said pinned roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 668,907 Delerue Feb. 26, 1901 755,347 Bietenholz Mar. 22, 1904 1,727,393 Cady Sept. 10, 1929 1,795,351 Stell Mar. 10, 1931 2,127,410 Knowles Aug. 16, 1938 2,438,469 Wilkie Mar. 23, 1948 2,523,751 Cady Sept, 26, 1950 

5. THE METHOD OF CONVERTING A WEB OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS INTO A SILVER SEPARATED, DRAFTED AND COMBED STAPLE FIBERS WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING A WEB OF SUCH FILAMENTS, FRACTURING FILAMENTS IN SAID WEB ALONG PARALLEL LINES OBLIQUELY INCLINED TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID WEB, POSITIVELY ENGAGING SAID FRACTURED WEB ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSE TO ITS DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND ADVANCING IT AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED, REPEATEDLY COMBINING THE LEADING PROTIONS OF SAID FILAMENTS, AS THEIR TRAILING PROTIONS ARE SO ENGAGED AND ADVANCED AT SAID LINE OF ENGAGEMENT, TO DEBOND ANY FILAMENTS STILL UNITED AT THE POINTS OF FRACTURE INTO STAPLELENGTH FIBERS, SEPARATE THE FIBERS FROM EACH OTHER AND DRAFT THE WEB AS IT PASSES BEYOND THE LINE OF ENGAGEMENT, AND FORMING SAID WEB INTO THE FORM OF A SILVER. 